UK Android handset sales booming, 350% growth in 2010

The Android mobile operting system has enjoyed huge growth over the past couple of years, so much so that in the UK, one in every ten mobile handsets sold is running Android, growth of 350% in 2010 alone.

According to retail watcher GfK, Android now accounts for 13.2% of the UK mobile contract market, jumping from just 3% in the first quarter of 2010, helped largely by the success of handsets from companies including HTC and Samsung.

HTC posted a 41% increase in sales for the first six months of 2010 with handsets like the Desire and Legend constituting a large part of sales in the UK. HTC launched the Desire in April and immediately found it difficult to cope with demand for the device; with the handset featuring a 1GHz Snapdragon processor and an updated Android firmware, many consumers found the Desire to be a very viable alternative to Apple’s iPhone.

“The figures suggest an increasing number of consumers are now asking for Android handsets by name,” commented GfK analyst Megan Baldock. “Operating Systems are no longer simply a by-product but a key selling point in their own right.”

Even though the figures only encompass the UK, growth of 350% in just seven months cannot be ignored, especially when the contract market grew by only 1% in that period.

Matt is based near London and is the News Editor for The Next Web. You can follow him on Twitter, subscribe to his updates on Facebook and catch up with him on Google+. You can reach Matt via email at matt@thenextweb.com.